Releasing Yourself From Reptilian Responses to ConflictPosted by Ladefoged Johannesen on May 28th, 2021 Your experiences of conflict thus far could have taught you some extremely important information about your brain. Nationally accredited mediators may be that after you are criticized or perhaps in conflict with someone else which you enter fight or flight (or sometimes freeze). This is the reptilian brain's response to stress and it causes us to react with techniques that feel involuntary. When it experiences a stress trigger, the reptilian brain puts your body inside a 'maximum readiness' state. It drains blood from the core (hence the sensation of nausea) and elements of your mind (your speech centre is one of them) and sends it in your limbs. It increases your heartrate along with the pace of the breathing. It sends an outburst of neuro-chemicals and hormones over to maximise your energy and minimise your pain. Your convenience of thinking rationally is reduced because we have evolved to reply to danger using the 3 simple immediate impulses. In effect, our reptilian response winds us up like a spring, ready to release in a single powerful surge. This is when we blast someone else or let rip in the fountain of expletives. The reptilian response rarely helps resolve the conflicted situation because our inner reptile has control of our thinking! Give yourself space and employ these techniques to de-stress. Unwinding the Spring Give yourself space - with a few well rehearsed responses: "I'll email you on that, at this time I must please take a minute to consider what has happened here." "I genuinely wish to deal with this in a way that will work for both of us. I'll meet you with your office in 10 mins." "I need to prevent you there. This needs our best abilities to settle. I'm not ready today. Can more tips here meet in 10 mins approximately? I'll be ready then." Silence while you mentally block the voice is sometimes useful when you are working through some situations. Say anything to avoid the criticism as you release the reptilian grip on your brain. Once you have the space do the following things: Walk whilst you think. (This helps move the strain chemicals out of the system.) Breathe deeply and slowly. (This oxygenates your brain and helps you believe more clearly) Stand up straight and set shoulders back. (This sends an email to your mind that you happen to be strong as well as in control.) Put your mind up and appear up at the sky or perhaps the ceiling. (This keeps you from accessing the powerful feelings which can be currently determining your state. Looking up means you happen to be accessing fault your mind that stores pictures and thinking rather than feelings.) Think about what is very important for you and what you happen to be ready to do. (This immediately puts you in 'problem resolving' state instead of a 'problem immersion' state. find more information tells the human brain which you gonna act to redress the attack on the needs and you also need its help. That always feels better than reeling or mulling in the attack itself and feeling better is just what you would like at this point.) Warning: This is not an approach to instantly reprogramming. Like all rewiring of the brain, it takes repetition. So practice it in low stress situations and gradually build-up until you can release your mind from your reptilian grip in seconds instead of hours.Like it? Share it! More by this author |